In addition to voice services, the evolution of wireless communication networks has increased the availability of data services and their adoption for remote communication between users and machine terminals, for example for data collection and submission from wireless meters and teller machines. This has emphasized certain aspects of traffic management in wireless communication systems that are different from those occurring in traditional voice communications as many applications for machine communication exhibit different real-time communication requirements with different tolerances for communication delays. Some of the terms typically used in the art to refer to communications with machine terminals include machine-terminal communication or machine-type communication (MTC), or machine-to-machine communication (M2M).
Wireless communication networks provide a means for effective access to other data networks for mobile wireless devices and other applications. To realize this, a number of data services have been designed for wireless communication networks that facilitate wireless communication. Wireless data transmission is supported by digital wireless communication systems including GPRS (general packet radio service) and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System) and will be part of the LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, for example, which are readily known. Protocols such as HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) and HSUPA (high-speed uplink packet access) may be used to enable data services, for example in UMTS systems.
The architecture of wireless communication systems typically provides for hierarchies comprising one or more subnetworks that provide predetermined functions and/or services to predetermined areas. Infrastructure servicing different areas is then interconnected by a corresponding backbone network, which in itself is organized in a hierarchical fashion. A subnetwork generally comprises a number of packet data service nodes connected in such a way that it can provide a packet-switched service for wireless devices via several base stations. The intermediate mobile communication network provides packet-switched data transmission between a support node and wireless devices. Certain subnetworks may be connected to an external data network, for example, to a public switched data or phone network, via predetermined gateway nodes for relaying corresponding services. Wireless communication system services thus allow packet data transmission between wireless devices and external data networks.
The wireless nature of the communication in wireless communication systems proves useful for applications in mobile wireless devices as well as for convenient interconnection of wireless devices which may not necessarily require full or partial mobility. Aspects of mobility of a growing number of wireless devices for machine communication, for example, may differ significantly from mobile phones traditionally used for human-to-human voice communication.
Wireless communication system design, traditionally, has addressed mobility collectively equally for all wireless devices. For example, aspects of communication management in wireless communication systems may occur substantially instantaneously within the abilities of the wireless communication system without further discriminating between different needs for communications to and/or from different types of wireless devices. The ability to perform communications between all types of wireless devices at any time in an uncoordinated manner may cause significant amounts of network traffic and congest the network at times of peak demand. Because of this simple communications management, existing wireless communication systems typically need to be dimensioned for peak traffic to avoid overloading and congestion.
The need for more sophisticated communications management is described in Technical Specification: “Service requirements for machine-type communications”, Stage 1, 3GPP TS 22.368 V1.1.1. This reference describes aspects of increased network traffic caused by various forms of M2M communications. It, however, does not teach a solution.
Therefore there is a need for a solution that overcomes at least one of the deficiencies in the art.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.